Former Ambassador Nirupama Rao to speak on Gandhi’s influence on Dr. King in Houston on Jan. 15 By Zofeen Maqsood | January 9, 2019 "Indian Ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao talking to the media at the Indiaspora 2013 Inaugural Ball in Washington, DC." Ambassador Nirupama Rao

The event is hosted by Rothko Chapel, as part of its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration, in partnership with Houston’s Mahatma Gandhi Library.

The face of civil rights movement in America, Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr., will be remembered on his birth anniversary with a unique event in Houston, Texas, looking at the life and times of the activist.

Rothko Chapel in Houston will organize its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration on January 15. The highlight of the event will be a conversation between civil rights activist and organizer Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. and former Indian Ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao.

The program, coinciding with the city-wide Gandhi Sesquicentennial Celebration, is being hosted in partnership with the Mahatma Gandhi Library in Houston, according to the Rothko Chapel.

Houston’s Gandhi Sesquicentennial Celebration is organized jointly by the city and the library, which was founded in 2002.

WHAT: A conversation on the influence of Mahatma Gandhi on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King WHEN: January 15, 7.00 pm onward

WHERE: Rothko Chapel in Houston For registration details, visit the Rothko Chapel website

The talk of Rao, a former Indian Foreign Secretary and the Meera and Vikram Gandhi Fellow at the India Initiative at Brown University in Providence, will explore the influence of Gandhi on Dr. King. It will be moderated by Melanie Lawson, an award-winning journalist. Opening remarks at the event will be delivered by Mayor Sylvester Turner and Consul General of India in Houston Dr. Anupam Ray.

LaFayette is a long time civil rights activist and an authority on non-violent social change. Rao was the first woman high commissioner from India to Sri Lanka. She also served as an ambassador to China.

The evening would also see a sitar performance by Indrajit Banerjee and tabla by Shantilal Shah. While the strains of sitar and table will delight the audience during the seating of the event, there would be a performance by Phillip Hall Singers to conclude the program.